I don't buy a lot of clothes but when I do, I have noticed that in recent times I have tended to spend a fair whack of money on individual items, with the idea of them lasting me for a long time. I recently brought a lightweight anorak / dress thing for $370.00. It is awesome, one of those pieces that will never really go out of style, and can be worn lots of different ways, and is so well made. I feel great in it, get lots of compliments on it, and what's more I know it isn't going to fall apart or lose its shape at the first wash.
I'm not a label snob at all, I don't even know what the labels are in the vast majority of my clothes (including the anorak) without going to the wardrobe and taking a look. I'd happily wear gear from Glassons or Farmers any day of the week, except that:
(a) As I've got older and more curvy I find it just doesn't suit me to wear clothes that seem to be designed for teenagers. Plus I don't care about the latest fashion, at all. I want to wear stuff that will last more than one season and represents me, rather than follow the fashion herd.
(b) Has anyone else noticed how nasty a lot of fabric is these days? All synthetic and flimsy and half the time see-through. I'm a total fabric person and I love quality. A garment has to feel good, not just look good. And as I mentioned above, it definitely can't lose its shape after the first wash!
(c) Has anyone else also noticed how badly made most clothes are these days? I don't mind so much when buttons fall off something I've brought in, say, Shanton, one of the cheapest stores around. But one of the biggest culprits for shoddy workmanship is a mid-range store that used to be a real favourite of mine - Max. Their clothes used to be fairly well made. But in recent times their quality has been pretty poor - buttons falling off constantly being the main issue. I've noticed a lot of their fabrics are not as nice as they used to be as well. Max aren't top of the line, but you do pay a reasonable amount for their clothes, and I do feel a bit ripped off when I'm paying $120-ish for something that I then have to get out the needle and thread on to fix up a few days later.
So, investment dressing it is.
With that mindset I ventured out today to tackle something that brings fear to many a woman's heart, including mine: the dreaded bathing suit shopping expedition. I truly, deeply, hate shopping for swimwear. For the past couple of years I've avoided it and made do with a saggy and rapidly falling apart ensemble from Farmers, a bikini consisting of a size 10 bottom and a size 14 top.
That is because I'm a size 10 and have DD cup boobies so normal bathing suits don't fit me. If the bottom fits, the udder coverage is woefully inadequate. (What is it with all those nipple covers out there masquerading as bathing suits?!) If it fits on top then the rest swims on me. Plus, even though I have a small build and am in reasonable shape for a 30-something mother, I do have that jelly belly pooch that many mothers seem doomed to have once they've heaved out a sprog or two. So I don't feel I look good in a bikini - way too much tummy exposure. I'd spent many a depressing hour in normal bathing suit shops wondering why nothing looked right on me and coming out empty handed.
So I'd been putting off the bathing suit shop until I could put it off no more. However luck was on my side. Quite by chance I recently heard about a shop in Beckenham called Savoir, that specialises in lingerie and swimwear and has a good range for the - erm - well endowed woman. So off I trotted to see what this place was like. It's just a little shop. I'll be honest and say I didn't have high hopes due to many previous disappointments but this place turned out to be bloody fantastic!
They had a range of bathing suits and lingerie in there designed for people just like me, who don't want to look like they are wearing their nana's bathing suit but do want to keep the girls (and everything else) in check, as it were. It was a pleasant and novel surprise to find I had one of the smaller cup sizes there - a DD is tiny compared to the G cups and beyond that were on display. Some of their ranges go up to K cups (imagine lugging those around!). The staff were helpful and knowledgable, and the place was packed. Obviously word has got around. I tried on three bathing suits, all of which fitted, and two of which looked really good, and I picked one of those. It was so easy. This bathing suit has a built in bra for boob control, a tummy panel for tummy control, and is built to last. I mean this baby has scaffolding. It is a cool style, accentuates my best bits and covers the worst bits, and feels very comfortable.
It cost $179. It might seem like a lot to pay when I can pick up a bathing suit for $30 from a chain store (at least in theory), but it is going to last for a long time, as long as I look after it - because it is really well made. Even more importantly, when I went swimming today I actually felt good walking around in my bathing suit. I wasn't hunched over trying to disguise this bit or that bit or covering the whole thing up with a T-shirt and board shorts like I usually do. I wasn't worried about anything popping out or going see-though. I was able to relax and really enjoy myself.
I consider that investment dressing in more ways than one.
1 comment:
Hmmmm, maybe I'll have to try that place, as I have awful trouble finding togs to fit as well. But my stingy side tells me that I shouldn't spend more than $50! It's a dilemma, but I WOULD like a suit that looks nice and lasts a long time.
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